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(Hypertension. 2008;51:1399.)
© 2008 American Heart Association, Inc.

American Heart Association 2007 Presidential Address

Delivering the Promise: Progress, Challenges, Opportunities

From the University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson.

Correspondence to Daniel W. Jones, Office of the Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2500 North State Street, Jackson, MS 39216. E-mail djones@ovc.umsmed.edu

An extract of the first 250 words of the full text is provided, because this article has no abstract.

In science and in medicine, we live in extraordinary times. The lifespan of man has been nearly doubled over the past century, and the quality of life has also been vastly improved. Science promised a great deal, and it has delivered, at least in part. But why has it not delivered that promise in full and transformed all of our lives? Can we do better? I think we can. Let’s start where it all comes together—with a patient:

Our patient, a 74-year-old white male living in the suburbs of a major US city, is fortunate. He has just been discharged from the hospital after a 2-day stay for an ST elevation myocardial infarction and a coronary artery stenting procedure. He benefited from multiple technologies developed through research over many years.

His father died of an MI at age 54. Because of research and the development and dissemination of evidence-based guidelines, our patient’s physician knew that he should screen this man for risk factors.¹ So, at age 45, he was diagnosed with hypertension and had it effectively treated. He stopped smoking, exercised, lost weight, and restricted sodium in his diet. At age 66, a statin was added to his regimen because of an elevated cholesterol level.

On the day of his admission, the patient, who had been coached by his physician, knew to call 911 immediately when he experienced chest pain. And the emergency medical personnel, seeing the ST elevation on the portable EKG done on site, knew where to transport . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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